JP2016004757A - Contact device, electromagnetic relay using the same, and method of manufacturing contact device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact device capable of reducing variation of the position of a fixed terminal, an electromagnetic relay using the same, and a method of manufacturing a contact device.SOLUTION: Fixed terminals 31, 32 are electrically connected to a contact portion 2. A housing is configured in a box-shape, and disposed to surround the contact portion 2. Opening holes 411, 412 through which the fixed terminals 31, 32 pass are formed in a bottom plate 41. Insulation members 51, 52 have an electrical insulation property, and are configured in an annular shape so as to surround the hollow portions 511, 521, and coupled to the peripheries of the opening holes 411, 412 in the bottom plate 41. The fixed terminals 31, 32 are fixed to the insulation members 51, 52 so as to penetrate through the hollow portions 511, 521, and held by the housing 4 through the insulation members 51, 52.

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a contact device, an electromagnetic relay using the contact device, and a method for manufacturing the contact device, and more specifically, a contact device including a box-shaped casing surrounding a contact portion, and an electromagnetic relay using the contact device. And a contact device manufacturing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been provided a contact device in which an airtight (sealed) space is formed by a box-shaped housing (box-shaped sealed container) and a contact portion is accommodated in the airtight space. This type of contact device forms an airtight space with, for example, a ceramic housing in order to ensure insulation, airtightness, and heat resistance. However, a ceramic housing tends to shrink during sintering, and it is difficult to increase dimensional accuracy.

  On the other hand, a contact device (contact opening / closing) configured to form an airtight space by joining and integrating a ceramic plate holding a fixed terminal (fixed contact terminal) to an upper opening edge of a metal cylindrical flange. Device) has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes that by combining a plate-shaped ceramic (ceramic plate) and a metal cylindrical flange, a high dimensional accuracy can be ensured as compared with the case of using a box-shaped ceramic.

  Further, in the contact device (starter magnet switch) described in Patent Document 2, the fixed terminal (fixed contact) penetrates the side surface of the insulated contact case and is fixed with the insulated contact case interposed therebetween. Here, a conical through hole for inserting and arranging the fixed terminal is formed on the side surface of the insulating contact case, and a heat resistant insulating spacer made of a ceramic material is arranged in the through hole. The fixed terminal is indirectly held by the insulating contact case by being inserted into the heat-resistant insulating spacer. Furthermore, according to the description of Patent Document 2, the insulating heat-resistant spacer has a conical shape, and the fixed terminals can be arranged concentrically only by tightening the fixed terminals.

International Publication No. 2011/115052 JP-A-8-22760

  However, in the contact device described in Patent Document 1, since the fixed terminal is directly held by the ceramic plate, the position of the fixed terminal may vary if the dimensional accuracy of the ceramic plate is low.

  In the contact device described in Patent Document 2, although the fixed terminal is indirectly held by the insulated contact case via the heat-resistant insulating spacer, the heat-resistant insulating spacer is formed in a conical shape. Are disposed in the conical through hole. Therefore, even with the configuration described in Patent Document 2, if the dimensional accuracy of the heat-resistant insulating spacer made of a ceramic material is low, the position of the fixed terminal may vary. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, since the insulating contact case that indirectly holds the fixed terminal via the heat-resistant insulating spacer is made of resin, compared to the case where the fixed terminal is held in a metal case with high dimensional accuracy. The position of the fixed terminal may also vary.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described reasons, and an object thereof is to provide a contact device that can reduce variations in the position of a fixed terminal, an electromagnetic relay using the contact device, and a method of manufacturing the contact device.

  The contact device of the present invention includes a contact portion, a fixed terminal electrically connected to the contact portion, a box-like shape disposed so as to surround the contact portion, and an opening hole through which the fixed terminal passes is formed in the bottom plate. A housing having electrical insulation, and an annular member surrounding the hollow portion and joined around the opening hole in the bottom plate, and the fixed terminal includes the hollow portion. It is fixed to the insulating member in a penetrating manner, and is held by the casing via the insulating member.

  In this contact device, the inner diameter of the insulating member is set larger than the outer diameter of the fixed terminal so that a gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the insulating member and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed terminal. It is desirable.

  In this contact device, the housing is formed with two or more opening holes, and the fixed terminals and the insulating members have the same number as the opening holes so as to correspond to the opening holes on a one-to-one basis. It is more desirable that they are provided one by one.

  In this contact device, the housing is more preferably made of metal.

  In this contact device, it is more preferable that a metal housing-side spacer is provided between the insulating member and the bottom plate, and the insulating member is joined to the bottom plate via the housing-side spacer.

  In this contact device, it is more preferable that at least the bottom plate and a portion other than the bottom plate are separate members.

  In this contact device, a metal terminal-side spacer is provided between the fixed terminal and the insulating member, and the fixed terminal is joined to the insulating member via the terminal-side spacer. desirable.

  In this contact device, it is more preferable that the fixed terminal is hermetically joined to the insulating member, and the insulating member is hermetically joined to the bottom plate so that the internal space of the housing becomes an airtight space.

  An electromagnetic relay according to the present invention includes the contact device described above and an electromagnet device that drives the contact portion to open and close.

  The contact device manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a contact portion, a fixed terminal electrically connected to the contact portion, a box-like shape arranged to surround the contact portion, and an opening hole through which the fixed terminal passes. Is a manufacturing method of a contact device comprising a casing formed on a bottom plate and an annular insulating member having electrical insulation and surrounding a hollow portion, wherein the fixed terminal is formed so as to penetrate the hollow portion. A fixing step of fixing to the insulating member and the insulating member so that the fixing terminal is held by the casing via the insulating member while adjusting a relative position of the fixing terminal with respect to the casing. And a joining step of joining the periphery of the opening hole in the bottom plate.

  In the present invention, since the fixed terminal is held by the casing via the annular insulating member, the fixed terminal is fixed by using a casing having a relatively high dimensional accuracy as compared with the case where the insulating casing is used. There is an advantage that variations in terminal positions can be reduced.

It is sectional drawing which shows the electromagnetic relay which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a contact device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a main part of a contact device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the contact apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the housing | casing of the contact apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective sectional view showing the important section of the contact device concerning Embodiment 2. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the contact apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the further another example of the contact apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the contact device 1 of the present embodiment includes a contact portion 2, fixed terminals 31 and 32, a housing 4, and insulating members 51 and 52.

  The fixed terminals 31 and 32 are electrically connected to the contact portion 2. The casing 4 has a box shape and is disposed so as to surround the contact portion 2. Opening holes 411 and 412 through which the fixed terminals 31 and 32 are passed are formed in the bottom plate 41.

  The insulating members 51 and 52 are electrically insulative, have an annular shape surrounding the hollow portions 511 and 521, and are joined around the opening holes 411 and 412 in the bottom plate 41.

  The fixed terminals 31 and 32 are fixed to the insulating members 51 and 52 so as to penetrate the hollow portions 511 and 521, and are held by the housing 4 via the insulating members 51 and 52.

  According to this configuration, since the fixed terminals 31 and 32 are held by the casing 4 via the annular insulating members 51 and 52, by using the casing 4 having a relatively high dimensional accuracy, an insulating property can be obtained. Compared with the case where a housing is used, variations in the positions of the fixed terminals 31 and 32 can be reduced. For example, a metal casing 4 may be used as the casing 4 with high dimensional accuracy. However, even in this case, the electrical insulation between the fixed terminals 31 and 32 and the casing 4 is the insulating member 51. , 52 can be secured.

  In addition, the insulating members 51 and 52 are joined around the opening holes 411 and 412 in the bottom plate 41 of the housing 4. Therefore, even if the dimensional accuracy of the insulating members 51 and 52 is low, the contact device 1 reduces the variation in the positions of the fixed terminals 31 and 32 by adjusting the joining position of the insulating members 51 and 52 with respect to the bottom plate 41. it can.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a case where a pair (two) of opening holes 411 and 412 are formed in the housing 4 is taken as an example. The fixed terminals 31 and 32 and the insulating members 51 and 52 are provided in the same number (two) as the opening holes 411 and 412 so as to correspond to the opening holes 411 and 412 respectively. However, the number of opening holes, fixed terminals, and insulating members is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

  Hereinafter, the contact device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail. The contact device 1 described below is only an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and the technical idea according to the present invention is not deviated from this embodiment. Various changes can be made in accordance with the design or the like as long as they are not.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the contact device 1 constitutes the electromagnetic relay 100 together with the electromagnet device 10 as shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example. That is, the electromagnetic relay 100 includes the contact device 1 and the electromagnet device 10 that drives the contact unit 2 to open and close. However, the contact device 1 is not limited to the electromagnetic relay 100 but may be used for, for example, a breaker (breaker), a switch, or the like. In the present embodiment, the electromagnetic relay 100 is mounted on an electric vehicle (EV), and the contact portion 2 is electrically connected to a DC power supply path from a traveling battery to a load (for example, an inverter). And

<Configuration of contact device>
As shown in FIG. 1, the contact device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321 and a pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 disposed to face the pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321. The contact part 2 is provided.

  In the following, for the sake of explanation, the opposing direction of the fixed contacts 311 and 321 and the movable contacts 81 and 82 is defined as the vertical direction, and the fixed contacts 311 and 321 side is defined as the upper side when viewed from the movable contacts 81 and 82. Furthermore, the direction in which the pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321 are arranged is defined as the left and right direction, and the fixed contact 321 side is defined as the right side when viewed from the fixed contact 311. That is, in the following description, the upper, lower, left, and right in FIG. In the following description, a direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (a direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 1) will be described as the front-rear direction. However, these directions are not intended to limit the usage pattern of the contact device 1.

  One (first) fixed contact 311 is provided at the lower end of one (first) fixed terminal 31, and the other (second) fixed contact 321 is the other (second) fixed terminal. 32 is provided at the lower end. As a result, the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are electrically connected to the pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321 in the contact portion 2. The pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 are provided on a plate-shaped movable contact 8 made of a conductive metal material. As a result, the pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 are electrically connected to each other via the movable contact 8.

  The pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are arranged so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. The pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are each formed of a conductive metal material, and function as terminals for connecting an external circuit (battery and load) to the contact portion (the pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321) 2. To do. In this embodiment, fixed terminals 31 and 32 formed of copper (Cu) are used as an example. However, the fixed terminals 31 and 32 are not intended to be made of copper, and the fixed terminals 31 and 32 are other than copper. It may be formed of a conductive material.

  Each of the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 is formed in a columnar shape having a circular cross section in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. Here, in each of the pair of fixed terminals 31, 32, the upper end side is made to have an enlarged diameter portion 313, 323 (see FIG. 2) having a larger outer diameter than the small diameter portions 312 and 322 (see FIG. 2) on the lower end side. Thus, the front view is configured to be T-shaped.

  As will be described in detail later, the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are held by the housing 4 in a state of passing through the opening holes 411 and 412 formed in the bottom plate 41 of the housing 4.

  The movable contact 8 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction, and a pair of fixed terminals 31 such that both ends in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) are opposed to the lower ends of the pair of fixed terminals 31, 32. , 32 are arranged below. In the movable contact 8, a pair of movable contacts 81, 82 is provided at a portion facing the lower end portions (fixed contacts 311, 321) of the pair of fixed terminals 31, 32.

  The movable contact 8 is held in a housing 4 by a holder 16 described later, and is driven in the vertical direction together with the holder 16 by an electromagnet device 10 disposed below the housing 4. As a result, the pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 provided on the movable contact 8 move between a closed position in contact with the corresponding fixed contacts 311 and 321 and an open position away from the fixed contacts 311 and 321, respectively. Will do.

  When both the movable contacts 81 and 82 are in the closed position, that is, when the contact portion 2 is closed (hereinafter referred to as “closed state”), the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are short-circuited via the movable contact 8. . Therefore, the contact device 1 supplies the DC power from the battery to the load in the closed state by electrically connecting the fixed terminal 31 to one of the battery and the load and electrically connecting the fixed terminal 32 to the other. Form a road.

  The movable contacts 81 and 82 may be configured integrally with the movable contact 8 by, for example, driving a part of the movable contact 8, or may be a separate member from the movable contact 8. 8 may be fixed. Similarly, the fixed contacts 311 and 321 may be configured integrally with the fixed terminals 31 and 32, or may be formed of a member different from the fixed terminals 31 and 32 and fixed to the fixed terminals 31 and 32.

  The housing 4 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape (see FIG. 2) having an open bottom surface and extending in the left-right direction, and is disposed so as to surround the contact portion 2. The bottom plate 41 of the housing 4 has a rectangular plate shape, is positioned above the contact portion 2, and forms the upper surface of the housing 4. The casing 4 has a cylindrical portion 42 that extends downward from the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the bottom plate 41 in addition to the bottom plate 41. In other words, the cylindrical portion 42 has a rectangular cylindrical shape with an upper surface and a lower surface opened, and the upper surface is closed by the bottom plate 41.

  In addition, the lower surface of the cylindrical part 42 is block | closed with the yoke upper plate 11 of the electromagnet apparatus 10 mentioned later. Specifically, the cylindrical portion 42 has a lower end joined to the yoke upper plate 11 by, for example, welding. As a result, the contact portion 2 is accommodated in a space surrounded by the bottom plate 41 and the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 and the yoke upper plate 11.

  In the present embodiment, the housing 4 is made of metal, but the bottom plate 41 and a portion other than the bottom plate 41 (tubular portion 42) are separate members. In short, the bottom plate 41 and the cylindrical portion 42 are both made of metal, but the bottom plate 41 is made of a member different from the cylindrical portion 42 and is joined to the cylindrical portion 42 to join the casing 4 together with the cylindrical portion 42. Configure. In the example of FIG. 1, the thickness dimension of the bottom plate 41 is set to be larger than the thickness dimension of the portion other than the bottom plate 41 (tubular portion 42), but both thickness dimensions may be the same.

  In the present embodiment, the bottom plate 41 made of 42 alloy (Fe-42Ni) is used as an example. However, the bottom plate 41 is not limited to 42 alloy, and the bottom plate 41 is made of, for example, Kovar, stainless steel (SUS304, etc.). ) Or the like. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 42 formed of stainless steel (SUS304 or the like) is used as an example. However, the cylindrical portion 42 is not limited to stainless steel, and the cylindrical portion 42 is, for example, 42 alloy. (Fe-42Ni), Kovar, etc. may be used.

  The bottom plate 41 of the housing 4 is formed with a pair of opening holes 411 and 412 for allowing the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 to pass therethrough. The pair of opening holes 411 and 412 are each formed in a circular shape and penetrate the bottom plate 41 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). One (first) fixed terminal 31 is disposed in one (first) opening hole 411, and the other (second) fixed terminal 32 is disposed in the other (second) opening hole 412. Is done.

  By the way, since a pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 adopts a common configuration, the following description will be given focusing on one (first) fixed terminal 31 unless otherwise specified. The second) fixed terminal 32 has the same configuration. That is, in the following description, the fixed terminal 31, the (first) opening hole 411, the (first) small diameter portion 312, and the (first) large diameter portion 313 are the fixed terminal 32 and (second), respectively. It can be read as an opening 412, a (second) small diameter portion 322, and a (second) large diameter portion 323. The (first) insulating member 51, the (first) terminal-side spacer 61, and the (first) housing-side spacer 71 are the (second) insulating member 52 and the (second) terminal-side spacer, respectively. 62, can be read as the (second) housing side spacer 72.

  The insulating member 51 is made of an insulating material and functions to ensure at least electrical insulation between the fixed terminal 31 and the housing 4. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the insulating member 51 is formed in an annular shape in which both the upper surface and the lower surface are flat, and has a hollow portion 511 that opens in a circular shape inside. In this embodiment, the insulating member 51 made of ceramic is used as an example. However, the insulating member 51 is not limited to being made of ceramic, and the insulating member 51 is made of an insulating material such as glass. May be.

  The insulating member 51 is joined around the opening hole 411 in the bottom plate 41. The fixed terminal 31 is fixed to the insulating member 51 so as to penetrate the hollow portion 511 of the insulating member 51. As a result, the fixed terminal 31 is indirectly held by the housing 4 via at least the insulating member 51.

  In the present embodiment, a metal terminal-side spacer 61 is provided between the fixed terminal 31 and the insulating member 51. The fixed terminal 31 is fixed to the insulating member 51 by being joined to the insulating member 51 via the terminal side spacer 61. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the terminal-side spacer 61 is formed in an annular shape whose upper surface and lower surface are both flat. In this embodiment, the terminal side spacer 61 formed of 42 alloy (Fe-42Ni) is used as an example. However, the terminal side spacer 61 is not limited to 42 alloy, and the terminal side spacer 61 is, for example, It may be formed of Kovar or the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a metal casing-side spacer 71 is provided between the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 of the casing 4. The insulating member 51 is fixed to the bottom plate 41 by being joined to the bottom plate 41 via the housing side spacer 71. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing-side spacer 71 is formed in an annular shape having both a top surface and a bottom surface that are flat. In the present embodiment, the case side spacer 71 formed of 42 alloy (Fe-42Ni) is used as an example. However, the case side spacer 71 is not limited to 42 alloy, and the case side spacer 71 is, for example, It may be formed of Kovar or the like.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the thickness dimension of the terminal side spacer 61 and the thickness dimension of the housing side spacer 71 are both set smaller than the thickness dimension of the insulating member 51.

  In short, in the contact device 1 of the present embodiment, the fixed terminal 31 is indirectly held on the bottom plate 41 of the housing 4 via the terminal side spacer 61, the insulating member 51, and the housing side spacer 71. The relationship among the fixed terminal 31, the terminal side spacer 61, the insulating member 51, the housing side spacer 71, and the bottom plate 41 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  The housing side spacer 71, the insulating member 51, and the terminal side spacer 61 are arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate 41 so as to be stacked in the order of the housing side spacer 71, the insulating member 51, and the terminal side spacer 61. Here, the housing-side spacer 71, the insulating member 51, and the terminal-side spacer 61 are arranged so that the central axis in a plane (horizontal plane) orthogonal to the vertical direction coincides with the opening hole 411.

  The fixed terminal 31 is disposed such that the small diameter portion 312 passes through the terminal side spacer 61, the insulating member 51, and the housing side spacer 71, and the enlarged diameter portion 313 overlaps the terminal side spacer 61. In this state, the lower end portion of the small diameter portion 312 of the fixed terminal 31 protrudes below the bottom plate 41 (inside the housing 4) through the opening hole 411.

  The fixed terminal 31 has the lower surface of the enlarged diameter portion 313 bonded to the upper surface of the terminal side spacer 61 and the lower surface of the terminal side spacer 61 is bonded to the upper surface of the insulating member 51, thereby interposing the terminal side spacer 61. And indirectly joined to the insulating member 51. Further, the lower surface of the insulating member 51 is joined to the upper surface of the housing side spacer 71, and the lower surface of the housing side spacer 71 is joined around the opening hole 411 in the upper surface of the bottom plate 41. It is indirectly joined to the housing (bottom plate 41) 4 through 71.

  Here, as a method for joining the members, an appropriate method is selected according to the materials of the two members to be joined. In the present embodiment, as an example, the fixed terminal 31 made of copper and the terminal side spacer 61 made of 42 alloy are joined by brazing. Also, the joining of the terminal side spacer 61 and the ceramic insulating member 51 and the joining of the insulating member 51 and the housing side spacer 71 made of 42 alloy are also brazed. The case side spacer 71 and the 42 alloy bottom plate 41 are joined by welding. The bottom plate 41 and the stainless steel tubular portion 42 are joined by welding.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter φ1 of the insulating member 51 is set larger than the outer diameter φ2 of the small diameter portion 312 of the fixed terminal 31 that penetrates the hollow portion 511, and the inner circumference of the insulating member 51 A gap g <b> 1 (see FIG. 3) is formed between the surface and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed terminal 31. Further, the inner diameter φ3 of the opening hole 411 is set larger than the inner diameter φ1 of the insulating member 51 (φ3> φ1> φ2).

  Further, in the contact device 1 of the present embodiment, the fixed terminal 31 is hermetically joined to the insulating member 51 and the insulating member 51 is hermetically joined to the bottom plate 41 so that the internal space of the housing 4 becomes an airtight space. . More specifically, the fixed terminal 31 and the terminal side spacer 61 are hermetically joined, and the bottom plate 41 and the housing side spacer 71 are hermetically joined. Further, both the terminal side spacer 61 and the housing side spacer 71 are hermetically joined to the insulating member 51. The bottom plate 41 and the tubular portion 42 and the tubular portion 42 and the yoke upper plate 11 are also airtightly joined.

  It is desirable that an arc extinguishing gas containing, for example, hydrogen is sealed in the internal space of the housing 4. Thereby, even if the arc is generated when the contact portion 2 accommodated in the housing 4 is opened, the arc is rapidly cooled by the arc extinguishing gas and can be extinguished quickly. However, it is not an essential configuration that the arc extinguishing gas is enclosed in the housing 4.

  By the way, the manufacturing method of the contact device 1 described above includes a fixing step of fixing the fixing terminal 31 to the insulating member 51 so as to penetrate the hollow portion 511, and a bonding for bonding the insulating member 51 around the opening hole 411 in the bottom plate 41. It is preferable to include at least a process. In the joining step, the insulating member 51 is opened in the bottom plate 41 so that the fixed terminal 31 is held by the housing 4 via the insulating member 51 while adjusting the relative position of the fixed terminal 31 with respect to the housing 4. Join around the hole 411.

  That is, the fixing terminal 31 is fixed to the insulating member 51 by a method such as brazing (fixing step), and then the insulating member 51 is bonded to the casing 4 while adjusting the position of the fixing terminal 31 with respect to the casing 4 (bonding). Process). More specifically, in the fixing step, the fixed terminal 31 and the terminal side spacer 61 are joined, the terminal side spacer 61 and the insulating member 51 are joined, and the insulating member 51 is joined to the housing side spacer 71. As a result, the fixed terminal 31 is integrated with the terminal side spacer 61, the insulating member 51, and the housing side spacer 71. In the subsequent joining step, the insulating member 51 is joined to the housing 4 via the housing-side spacer 71 by joining the housing-side spacer 71 and the housing (bottom plate 41) 4.

  According to this manufacturing method, the step of fixing the fixed terminal 31 to the insulating member 51 (fixing step) and the step of bonding the insulating member 51 to the housing 4 (joining step) are separate steps. Therefore, when the insulating member 51 to which the fixed terminal 31 is fixed in advance is joined to the housing 4, the relative position between the housing 4 and the fixed terminal 31 is adjusted, so that the dimensional accuracy of the insulating member 51 is affected. Therefore, the fixed terminal 31 can be positioned with high accuracy.

  In addition, the shape of each part mentioned above is only an example, and can be changed suitably. For example, the insulating member 51, the terminal-side spacer 61, and the housing-side spacer 71 are not limited to an annular shape, and may be formed in, for example, a polygon (such as a pentagon or a hexagon). Similarly, the fixed terminal 31 and the opening hole 411 may have a polygonal cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vertical direction.

<Configuration of electromagnet device>
As shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnet device 10 includes a stator 12, a mover 13, and an excitation coil 14. The electromagnet device 10 attracts the mover 13 to the stator 12 by the magnetic flux generated in the excitation coil 14 when the excitation coil 14 is energized, and moves the mover 13 from the second position (position shown in FIG. 1) to the first position. Move to.

  Here, in addition to the stator 12, the mover 13, and the exciting coil 14, the electromagnet device 10 includes a yoke including the yoke upper plate 11, a shaft 15, a holder 16, a contact pressure spring 17, and a return spring. 18. The electromagnet device 10 may be made of synthetic resin and have a coil bobbin (not shown) around which the excitation coil 14 is wound.

  The stator 12 is a fixed iron core formed in a cylindrical shape that protrudes downward from the central portion of the lower surface of the yoke upper plate 11, and an upper end portion of the stator 12 is fixed to the yoke upper plate 11.

  The mover 13 is a movable iron core formed in a columnar shape, and is arranged below the stator 12 so that the upper end surface thereof faces the lower end surface of the stator 12. The mover 13 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The first position where the upper end surface of the mover 13 is in contact with the lower end surface of the stator 12 and the second position where the upper end surface is separated from the lower end surface of the stator 12. Move between positions.

  The exciting coil 14 is disposed below the housing 4 in a direction in which the central axis direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the stator 12 and the movable element 13 are disposed inside thereof.

  The yoke is arranged so as to surround the exciting coil 14, and together with the stator 12 and the mover 13, forms a magnetic circuit through which magnetic flux generated when the exciting coil 14 is energized passes. Therefore, the yoke, the stator 12 and the mover 13 are all made of a magnetic material. The yoke upper plate 11 constitutes a part of this yoke, and is joined to the casing 4 so as to close the lower surface of the casing (tubular portion 42) 4 as described above.

  The return spring 18 is disposed inside the stator 12 and is a coil spring that urges the movable element 13 downward (second position).

  The shaft 15 is formed of a nonmagnetic material in a round bar shape extending in the vertical direction, and transmits the driving force generated in the electromagnet device 10 to the contact device 1 provided above the electromagnet device 10. The shaft 15 is inserted through a through hole 111 formed in the central portion of the yoke upper plate 11, passes through the inside of the stator 12 and the return spring 18, and its lower end is fixed to the mover 13. Yes. The upper end of the shaft 15 is fixed to a holder 16 that holds the movable contact 8.

  The holder 16 has, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape that is open on both sides in the left-right direction, and is combined with the movable contact 8 so that the movable contact 8 passes therethrough. The upper end portion of the shaft 15 is fixed to the holder 16. The contact pressure spring 17 is disposed between the upper surface of the lower plate of the holder 16 and the lower surface of the movable contact 8 and is a coil spring that biases the movable contact 8 upward.

  As a result, the driving force generated in the electromagnet device 10 is transmitted to the movable contact 8 by the shaft 15, and the movable contact 8 moves in the vertical direction as the movable element 13 moves in the vertical direction.

  The electromagnet device 10 may have a cylindrical body (not shown) made of a nonmagnetic material and containing the stator 12 and the mover 13. The cylindrical body is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an open upper surface, and an upper end portion (opening peripheral portion) is joined to the yoke upper plate 11. Thereby, the cylinder restricts the moving direction of the movable element 13 in the vertical direction and defines the second position of the movable element 13. Further, when the contact device 1 has an airtight structure (that is, when the internal space of the housing 4 is an airtight space), it is desirable that the cylinder is airtightly joined to the lower surface of the yoke upper plate 11. Thereby, even if the through-hole 111 is formed in the yoke upper board 11, the airtightness of an airtight space is securable.

<Operation of electromagnetic relay>
Next, operation | movement of the electromagnetic relay 100 provided with the contact device 1 and the electromagnet apparatus 10 of the structure mentioned above is demonstrated easily.

  When the exciting coil 14 is not energized (non-energized), the mover 13 is positioned at the second position by the spring force of the return spring 18 because no magnetic attractive force is generated between the mover 13 and the stator 12. To do. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, since the holder 16 is pulled down together with the shaft 15, the movable contact 8 is restricted from moving upward, and the pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 are fixed to the pair. It is located at an open position away from the contacts 311 and 321. In this state, the contact device 1 is in a state in which the contact portion 2 is open (hereinafter referred to as “open state”), so that the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 are not conductive.

  On the other hand, when the exciting coil 14 is energized, the movable element 13 is attracted upward against the spring force of the return spring 18 and moves to the first position because a magnetic attractive force is generated between the movable element 13 and the stator 12. To do. At this time, since the holder 16 is pushed upward together with the shaft 15, the movement restriction of the movable contact 8 is released, and the pair of movable contacts 81 and 82 are closed to contact the pair of fixed contacts 311 and 321. To position. In this state, since the contact device 2 is in the closed state, the contact device 1 is electrically connected between the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32.

  As described above, the electromagnet device 10 controls the attractive force acting on the movable element 13 by switching the energized state of the exciting coil 14 and moves the movable element 13 in the vertical direction. A driving force for switching between the open state and the closed state is generated.

<Effect>
According to the contact device 1 of the present embodiment described above, the fixed terminal 31 is held on the housing 4 via the annular insulating member 51. Therefore, the contact device 1 has an advantage that the variation in the position of the fixed terminal 31 can be reduced by using the casing 4 with relatively high dimensional accuracy, compared to the case of using an insulating casing.

  That is, as an insulating casing used for a contact device, a ceramic casing is generally used in order to ensure insulation, heat resistance, and if necessary, airtightness. In the embodiment, the housing 4 with high dimensional accuracy can be adopted by using the insulating member 51. For example, the metal casing 4 as described above has higher dimensional accuracy than a ceramic casing, and therefore, variation in the position of the fixed terminal 31 held by the casing 4 can be reduced.

  Moreover, the insulating member 51 is joined around the opening hole 411 in the bottom plate 41 of the housing 4. Therefore, even if the dimensional accuracy of the insulating member 51 is low, the contact device 1 can reduce variations in the position of the fixed terminal 31 by adjusting the joining position (attachment position) of the insulating member 51 to the bottom plate 41.

  Furthermore, the insulating member 51 may be any shape and size that can ensure electrical insulation between the fixed terminal 31 and the housing 4. For this reason, even when ceramic is used for the insulating member 51, ceramic parts may be simple and small. Therefore, compared to the case where a ceramic casing is used, the cost of the mold and material can be reduced, and the yield can be reduced. It is possible to improve.

  Further, the inner diameter φ1 of the insulating member 51 is the outer diameter φ2 of the fixed terminal 31 so that the gap g1 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the insulating member 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed terminal 31 as in the present embodiment. It is preferable that it is set larger. According to this configuration, there is room to adjust the position of the fixed terminal 31 inside the insulating member 51 (inside the hollow portion 511) within the range of the gap g1. Therefore, even if the dimensional accuracy of the insulating member 51 is low, the variation in the position of the fixed terminal 31 with respect to the housing 4 can be easily reduced. This configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  In addition, the contact device 1 ensures the electrical insulation between the fixed terminal 31 and the housing 4 by the configuration in which the gap g1 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the insulating member 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed terminal 31. There is also an advantage of being able to do it. That is, in the contact device 1, scattered matter such as metal powder is scattered from the contact portion 2 as the contact portion 2 is opened and closed, and this scattered matter may adhere to the insulating member 51. However, the contact device 1 of the present embodiment has a gap g1 between the insulating member 51 and the fixed terminal 31, so that even if scattered matter adheres to the insulating member 51, the fixed terminal 31 and the housing 4 Insulation between them can be secured.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, two or more opening holes 411 and 412 are formed in the housing 4, and the fixed terminals 31 and 32 and the insulating members 51 and 52 are in one-to-one correspondence with the opening holes 411 and 412, respectively. It is preferable that the same number as the opening holes 411 and 412 is provided so as to correspond. According to this configuration, variation in the position of each of the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 with respect to the housing 4 is reduced, so that variation in distance between the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 is also reduced. In other words, there is an advantage that the dimensional accuracy of the distance between the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 is improved.

  In addition, when the contact device 1 has a plurality of specifications in which the distance between the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 is different depending on the rated insulation voltage or the like, the insulating members 51 and 52 have common parts over the plurality of specifications. There are advantages that can be used. That is, only by changing the distance between the pair of opening holes 411 and 412 formed in the housing 4, the distance between the pair of fixed terminals 31 and 32 is different while the insulating members 51 and 52 are common. Is feasible.

  Furthermore, as in the present embodiment, the housing 4 is preferably made of metal. According to this structure, compared with the case where the housing | casing 4 is formed with a nonmetallic material, there exists an advantage that the housing | casing 4 with a high dimensional accuracy can be implement | achieved by simple process. However, this configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  When the housing 4 is made of metal, a metal housing-side spacer 71 is provided between the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 as in the present embodiment. It is preferable that it is joined to the bottom plate 41 via. According to this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are directly joined, restrictions on the material of the bottom plate 41 are relaxed, and the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the bottom plate 41 is increased.

  More specifically, in the configuration in which the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are directly joined, for example, if the insulating member 51 is made of ceramic and the bottom plate 41 is made of metal, the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are joined by brazing. The In the brazing process, since the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are placed in a high temperature environment, the bottom plate 41 is usually made of a metal material (42 alloy or the like) having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the insulating member (ceramic) 51. Kovar).

  On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the insulating member 51 and the housing side spacer 71 are brazed, and therefore the housing side spacer 71 is formed of a metal material having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the insulating member 51. That's fine. Therefore, the contact device 1 of the present embodiment has an advantage that the configuration including the housing-side spacer 71 relaxes the restriction on the material of the bottom plate 41 and increases the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the bottom plate 41. However, this configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  When the housing 4 is made of metal, it is preferable that at least the bottom plate 41 and a portion other than the bottom plate 41 (cylindrical portion 42) are separate members as in the present embodiment. . According to this configuration, only the bottom plate 41 that holds the fixed terminal 31 needs to be formed of a metal material (42 alloy or Kovar) having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the insulating member (ceramic) 51. Therefore, a portion of the housing 4 other than the bottom plate 41 (cylindrical portion 42) can be made of a material with good workability such as stainless steel (SUS304), and the entire housing 4 is formed of 42 alloy or Kovar. Compared to the case of drawing, the yield of drawing is improved. However, this configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, a metal terminal side spacer 61 is provided between the fixed terminal 31 and the insulating member 51, and the fixed terminal 31 is joined to the insulating member 51 via the terminal side spacer 61. It is preferable that According to this configuration, the degree of freedom of the material and shape of the fixed terminal 31 is increased as compared with the configuration in which the fixed terminal 31 and the insulating member 51 are directly joined. However, this configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the fixed terminal 31 is hermetically joined to the insulating member 51 and the insulating member 51 is hermetically joined to the bottom plate 41 so that the internal space of the housing 4 becomes an airtight space. . According to this structure, since the contact part 2 is accommodated in an airtight space, the contact device 1 can be used in various atmospheres. The contact device 1 can also improve the arc extinguishing performance by enclosing an arc extinguishing gas in the internal space of the housing 4. However, this configuration is not an essential configuration, and whether or not this configuration is adopted is arbitrary.

  The electromagnetic relay 100 according to the present embodiment includes the contact device 1 described above and an electromagnet device 10 that drives the contact unit 2 to open and close. Therefore, the electromagnetic relay 100 has an advantage that if the casing 4 having a relatively high dimensional accuracy is used for the contact device 1, the variation in the position of the fixed terminal 31 can be reduced as compared with the case where an insulating casing is used. is there.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 4, the contact device 1 according to the present embodiment is a first embodiment in that the bottom plate 41 and a portion other than the bottom plate 41 (cylindrical portion 42) in the housing 4 are configured as one member. This is different from the contact device 1 of FIG. Hereinafter, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, the bottom plate 41 is formed so as to be continuous with the cylindrical portion 42 without a joint. Here, as an example, the case 4 made of 42 alloy (Fe-42Ni) is used. However, the case 4 is not limited to 42 alloy, and the case 4 is made of, for example, Kovar. It may be.

  The casing 4 is formed by drawing from a single metal plate, and is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction with the bottom surface opened as shown in FIG. The lower surface of the housing 4 is closed by the yoke upper plate 11. A pair of opening holes 411 and 412 are formed in a portion of the housing 4 which becomes the bottom plate 41.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 4, the contact device 1 omits the terminal side spacers 61 and 62 (see FIG. 1) and the housing side spacers 71 and 72 (see FIG. 1). Hereinafter, the fixed terminal 31, the opening hole 411, the small diameter portion 312, the large diameter portion 313, the (first) leg 314, and the insulating member 51 are respectively the fixed terminal 32, the opening hole 412, the small diameter portion 322, and the widening portion. The diameter portion 323, the (second) leg portion 324, and the insulating member 52 can be read.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact device 1 shown in FIG. 4 fixes an annular leg portion 314 that projects downward from the lower surface of the enlarged diameter portion 313 along the outer peripheral surface of the smaller diameter portion 312. Terminal 31 is provided. Here, the inner diameter φ4 of the leg 314 is set to be larger than the inner diameter φ1 of the insulating member 51 and smaller than the outer diameter φ5 of the insulating member 51 (φ1 <φ4 <φ5). The outer diameter φ5 of the insulating member 51 is set larger than the inner diameter φ3 of the opening hole 411 (φ5> φ3).

  The fixed terminal 31 is insulated by directly joining the distal end portion (lower end portion) of the leg portion 314 to the insulating member 51 in a state where the distal end surface (lower end surface) of the leg portion 314 is in contact with the upper surface of the insulating member 51. Directly fixed to the member 51. The fixed terminal 31 and the insulating member 51 are joined by brazing.

  The insulating member 51 is directly fixed to the housing (bottom plate 41) 4 by directly bonding the lower surface thereof to the bottom plate 41 in a state where the lower surface thereof is in contact with the periphery of the opening hole 411 on the upper surface of the bottom plate 41. The insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are joined by brazing. In the brazing process, since the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41 are placed in a high temperature environment, the bottom plate 41 is a metal material (42 alloy or Kovar) having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the insulating member (ceramic) 51. Formed with.

  According to the configuration described above, since the bottom plate 41 of the housing 4 and the portion other than the bottom plate 41 are formed as one member, the number of parts of the housing 4 is reduced compared to the case where these are separate members. can do. Further, the contact device 1 described above can further reduce the number of components by omitting the terminal side spacer and the housing side spacer. When the terminal side spacer is omitted, it is preferable that the fixed terminal 31 has the leg portion 314 as described above, and the tip end portion of the leg portion 314 is joined to the insulating member 51.

  By the way, the fact that the terminal side spacer and the case side spacer are omitted is not essential in the contact device 1 of the present embodiment, and each of the terminal side spacer and the case side spacer can be appropriately adopted as necessary. Hereinafter, the fixed terminal 31, the insulating member 51, the terminal-side spacer 61, and the housing-side spacer 71 can be read as the fixed terminal 32, the insulating member 52, the terminal-side spacer 62, and the housing-side spacer 72, respectively.

  FIG. 7 shows the contact device 1 in which the terminal side spacer 61 is added to the configuration shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 7, as in the first embodiment, the leg portion 314 of the fixed terminal 31 is omitted, and a metal terminal-side spacer 61 is provided between the fixed terminal 31 and the insulating member 51, so that the fixed terminal is fixed. 31 is joined to the insulating member 51 via the terminal-side spacer 61.

  FIG. 8 shows a contact device 1 in which a case-side spacer 71 is added to the configuration shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 8, similarly to the first embodiment, a metal housing side spacer 71 is provided between the insulating member 51 and the bottom plate 41, and the insulating member 51 is attached to the bottom plate 41 via the housing side spacer 71. It is joined.

  Moreover, the contact apparatus 1 may be provided with both the terminal side spacer 61 and the housing | casing side spacer 71 similarly to Embodiment 1 by combining the structure of FIG. 7 and the structure of FIG.

  Other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact device 10 Electromagnet device 100 Electromagnetic relay 2 Contact part 31, 32 Fixed terminal 4 Case 41 Bottom plate 411, 412 Opening hole 51, 52 Insulation member 511, 521 Hollow part 61, 62 Terminal side spacer 71, 72 Case side spacer g1 Gap

Claims (10)

A contact portion;
A fixed terminal electrically connected to the contact portion;
A box-shaped casing disposed so as to surround the contact portion, and an opening hole through which the fixed terminal passes is formed in a bottom plate;
An insulating member having electrical insulation, and having an annular shape surrounding the hollow portion and joined around the opening hole in the bottom plate;
The contact device, wherein the fixed terminal is fixed to the insulating member so as to penetrate the hollow portion, and is held by the housing via the insulating member. The inner diameter of the insulating member is set larger than the outer diameter of the fixed terminal so that a gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the insulating member and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed terminal. The contact device according to claim 1. Two or more opening holes are formed in the housing,
The contact device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed terminal and the insulating member are provided in the same number as the opening hole so as to correspond to the opening hole on a one-to-one basis. The contact device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is made of metal. A metal housing side spacer is provided between the insulating member and the bottom plate,
The contact device according to claim 4, wherein the insulating member is joined to the bottom plate via the housing-side spacer. The contact device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein at least the bottom plate and a portion other than the bottom plate are separate members in the housing. Between the fixed terminal and the insulating member, a metal terminal side spacer is provided,
The contact device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixed terminal is joined to the insulating member via the terminal-side spacer. The fixed terminal is hermetically bonded to the insulating member, and the insulating member is hermetically bonded to the bottom plate so that the internal space of the housing becomes an airtight space. The contact device according to claim 1. The contact device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An electromagnetic relay comprising: an electromagnet device that drives to open and close the contact portion. A contact portion, a fixed terminal electrically connected to the contact portion, a box-like casing disposed around the contact portion, and an opening hole through which the fixed terminal is formed, and a bottom plate; A method of manufacturing a contact device having electrical insulation and an annular insulating member surrounding a hollow portion,
A fixing step of fixing the fixing terminal to the insulating member in a form penetrating the hollow portion;
While adjusting the relative position of the fixed terminal with respect to the casing, the insulating member is placed around the opening hole in the bottom plate so that the fixed terminal is held by the casing via the insulating member. A method for manufacturing a contact device, comprising: a joining step for joining.

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